Tumbling device



-- March 6, 1945. G. P. NISSEN TUMBLING DEVICE Filed June 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l R m m m March 6, P N N 2,370,990

TUMBLING DEVICE Filed June 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nnmmlnnunp INVENTOR. GEORGE E N/SSE/V ATTUR/YEX Patented Mar. 6, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TUMBLING-DEVICE George P. Nissen, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Application June 4, 1941, Serial No. ceases 20laims. (c1) -411)v V This invention relates to gymnastic equipment and has particular relation to "Trampolins or equipmentior use in tumbling.

Tumbling is becoming a more and more widely recognized form of sport. However, the equipment available for promoting this sport has been very poor and generally comprises plain mats or pads. The major objection to the use of mats in tumbling gymnastics is thatia. relatively large degree of skill is required. This skill may be attained only through long and arduous practice. Thus the ordinary individual, who might be interested in tumbling merely for the sport or for a ,complex system of guy wires and the like. Thus such devices are ordinarily beyond the reach of the individual or even the ordinary gymnasium. Space is usually at a premium in gymnasiums, and it is entirely impractical to assemble and then tear down such relatively permanent types'of tumbling equipment each time it is to be used.

-It is, therefore, a primary object of my invention to provide a unit of equipment for tumbling or like gymnastics which maybe readily moved from place to place and which maybe quickly and easily folded up for storage or readily moved about; as from room to room, through even the smallest doorway. r

A further object of my invention is the provision of a relatively inexpensive device of this nature.

L A further object of my invention is the provision of a self-contained or unittumbling device which is easy to set up or tear downand which requires neither guy wires nor auxiliary bracing equipment.

A still further object of my invention is, the provision of improved means for preventingdistortion'of the frame of such a tumbling device.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of improvedmeans for securing ate of such fabric, any strain applied ,to such a ring or" hook.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be'moreapparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specifications, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention; with the understanding, however; that such 'changes'may bemade therein as fall withinthe scope of the appended claims,

without departing from the spirit of'the'inven-.

tion. A In said drawingsz Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a tumbling mat or"Trampolin constructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention. a

Figure 2 is. a plan view of the device illustrated inFigureI.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the device illustrated in Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a view in'end elevation of the device shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a view inside elevation of the framework of the deviceshown in the other figures as itapp'ears when partly folded,jand

Figure 6 is afragm'entary view in perspective I of the fabric tumbling mat, illustrating, in particular, theimproved means for securing the edge .of the canvas ,to th supporting frame and for distributing the "strain onfthe canvas overa wide area. v

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1 to 4 inclusive thereof; I have'illustrated generally at ilfl a tumbling surface or mat, preferablyo'f heavycanvas or the like, re-

siliently 'supportedalong its outer edges by a plurality ofcoil springs II, which springs aresupported at their outer endsjfro'm .a moreor less at l1, l8 and I9 (Figure 2); at one ,side of each of the points l4, l5 and I6 at-which the frameis to; be hinged. Longitudinally extending rails 2| are disposed along the outer'sides of the longi-- tudinal members l2a of the main frame, and each of these rails is'broken, as at 22 on-the side of the central hinge member l5 opposite to the break I8,in the long-itudinal-framemember I2 Transversely extending holes are provided in the .theieoian a showha a the bracingmem'ber' and'the leg, at both the mimosa W QlI hin s ructur ing, are bent in approximately U-shape, as best shown in Figure 4, with the upper ends of the U spread apart so that, as they extend upwardly, they will also extend outwardly a slight amount to aid in bracing, the main frame,--a'swil-lf-be== hereinafter described. The .rcentral portion of,

the cross member l3a of eachU-sh'aped lgjis arched upwardly, as indicated at 21, so as Ito-per mi o l ih hds the cr ss membg 9 tact the supporting surface; 'The'foot' portions be hosg or the 2 asatlfii ndia' sofihat .asiruc h eimay' on a p shed surfa e W1 outm rrm .Qr .cra ,,.f.. it

th s pror dad are s rewd w t sho t .sefiiiqhs Li tubu ar bracing 1membdsl5an 1 are ca ed eiw en the up e 'e en of the ha sd.l sandjthe' ower ss Ihmberl3a oi th he at min f pjac' "f.,r lbmlth c n onnecti n be wee upper and lower ends of thebracing membe'n'is ma e by e ns at ,convent io' alis lit'cla pm '1 11h like ".Th fit i s. 101 the l wefr'en v are rsierab y b lt d d re. hi to, th por io of the U-shaped legs, butit'isalso advisable that the .jlcwer nds 9? these- 0mins memb r be spaced apart by a'jtie me er 36,.

The up e ehds ei 1t 32 arebent outwardly ib fore vtheypass through the s it c ampin ime s 4 ih: Such anne that "th sa d-u e a d s ain, -a a he ment as i 'atg'dat 1312.1. idflqilan t is his V ,7 4 ortion f a hp sgiwt '9 1'. u e for h i h hi a: h m a rev ou y. fe t "at @UQDQHIW "Mi maih e ih elude; aring blocks '51 eived on the ends ofirthese I "hingepin portions 31%; and 32dof the bracing members, and bolted to the under side of the longitudinaiframe-me bers 12a, andhthe longilii li ra hiZiIesP I A j s'l fiih 'f m lgigre preferably'disposed at arr riglere-lativeto the frameflby means of the 'bracefmembers' indif i e '3' adjace h bat d" a 4 i racemerlnbers'a e a ablylsecu ed brmeansof'spl t cla ps 2* a d frame [2 at'the center thereof and 'to'the center Qi'th rj fie lrjemb 'iifi The leg il, ISiiPhD fihg th mai frame teh mediate the end legs I3Qmaybe of the same con s ru ii n as thetlegs I31 and h h edl sec r d to embe s Th s h central. le xmem e s; roviderhra ha iqr; ah

Jeff the: bracin emb 's racing members 3 l and other to prevent accidental folding of the frame of the device when in use.

I The central hingemember l on each side of the main frame may include bearing brackets, such as previously described, hingedly connected together by means of a short length of pipe or shafting l5a.

The main frame I2 is provided around its upper surface with a plurality of spaced holes imtha. e e tio of the 'lhoqked nds of e ,lspri-r1gs l l,.-, The manner in which" the springs H "a're'se'cured' to the, canvasmat is best shown Figure 6. This mat may, of course, com- "prise a single heavy thickness of fabric, butI prefe tomake it of two thicknesses of canvas as shown at 49 and 50, having a third reinforceach edge ;and stitched to the mat proper as indicated at 52. I

awn rings 53 are secured along the edges of th e,l,carrvas mat by means of short lengths of I lieayy-..-w'ebbing-' 54-. These lengths of webbing, with the rin s p aced-the eon, r oo ed in ,Y o m an th -Lei dsi'threo ns ted between theiedgesiof thev ciahv as'' mat and the reinforcar tempoiarilyitacked into position until all of uc'h'membe s av b en os'i li ne al one side Oiihe m t, after which a number of paralflel rows of stitching arejrun alongtheedge (if thegmat through both layers thereof, through the lire n'for cin'g strip, 51,, and ,through"tl 'e webbing. .l t. may be readily understood that any strain placed on the edge of 'the matis distributed oyer 'fso' as to practically eliminate the tearing outrof rings orrippingof themat at the oint of attach? .ment' of t e s in s 'jtogthe ma l 'aur-efi ndicates Show" he nti frame a er thsliemo all ft e bolt 2. v alon t e l n imud.ared sthereor,the removal .of the end bracsjl and the central leg tie member 48, folded into approximately one-third .of

- T nd 54 his folded upwardly toward each other 'an'i ;i,ag ainst theI under side of, the frame, after ow ihh the U-.si p. d end mem rs I26 of h Zan folded downwa y-a out their mainrra i ST l.l1 ,.lBYa nd then upwardly 'a g ainst the lo g r side: of thepreviou'sly fold d le s, The en.- fire'rrame'is then folded at the middle about the hinge members [5. Thisfoldingmay take place eith i h r Without thema arid su portin v o mallv. ho ever hen hesp ce cup ed by 1 .1 91 3 I that. i n ded o th r bu rp ses, it hesessa r only to ean t en i e-structu e; up against a wall and fold, the legsinwardly against the bottom of .the framain which position the dev e. i l o c py Y ly; ittle;spa0i-- It may now be readily understood, upon further refe hc Figures-3 and i-p the d i gs. th the -.leaclhemhsrs ahmr lawd eworkcare shabadand-Jdi sowd Sa ha m nnerwn resist or ubs an ia y evehts s crtim of the main frame, and particularly any permanentdis? it ortionof-thefi a leuld a j} The P s tion fathsmat whe u r con iderble str n. tha is .wh h s owe ostextended pos tion, is indicat id in dob fi i in s Figure fi1a -it hwld-be hated t a whcnq ihi hde hos iign d-.ih swhe t e g eatest stra is placed onthe side and end rails of the main frame [Z ,the. greatest-strain is subs antially -i-ng-strip 51 extending alongthe underside of f 6 ,1 5]; T e endsrof 'th s web' em er a de a ea of the margi ia fm io o the th t 7 w rk, I

I normal length. 7 The adjacent pairs of legs I3 and 82. Furthermore, it should be noted that the triangular elements, including the brace members 8| or 32 and the adjacent side and bottom portions of the U-shaped legs, are' practically rigid and thus prevent any substantial distortion of the members forming the triangle. Resiliency is afforded the legs by the upwardly curved or arched portion 21 of the U-shaped leg elements. Thus,

inward or outward distortion of the side rails of the frame will normally result in a springing inwardly, downwardly, or straightening out of this lower member 21 of the U-shaped leg element. This upwardly curved or arched portion of the leg permits the deformation of this element without interfering with the two-point contact of each leg with its supporting surface.

It should be noted, also, that the end leg braces ll connected to each transverse member of the main frame, offer increased resistance to inward movement or deformation of the frame members to which they are attached as the load or downward thrust on the mat itself is increased.

Although I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications thereof may be made by those skilled distance on opposite sides of the said hinge connecting means, the side members also being disjointed at spaced distances from the ends of the reinforcing members, leg mounting brackets secured to the underside of the side frame and reinforcing members adjacent said joints, means for bolting the side frame and reinforcing members together on both sides of each of said joints, legs for supporting the frame, said legs having axially aligned projections at the ends thereof received in openings in the leg mounting brackets, whereby the legs may be folded about the said projections, as hinge pins, fiat against the frame and whereby, upon removal of .the bolting means, the frame may be folded upon itself about the projections of the legs adjacent the ends of the frame and about the hinge means first mentioned,

and mean for normally bracing said legs in erected position relative to the frame.

2. In a tumbling device, a frameincluding side members, mounting brackets secured to said side members, a plurality of supporting members each comprising a U shaped'member having the cross bar portion thereof arched upwardly near its.center and the side portions thereof slanting outwardly and upwardly, the upper ends of the supporting members having axially aligned cylindrical projections, tubular bracing members extending from substantially the center of the crossbar portions upwardly through the cylindrical projections, the mounting brackets being disposed in pairs, with the brackets of each pair mounted transversely opposite one another and having axially aligned holes therein for receiving the outer ends of the bracing members, and bracing means for securing the supporting members in erected position relative to the frame.

GEORGE P. NISSEN. 

